Translation guide
A person who has spoken a language from early childhood. In Japanese, this is usually expressed with a noun phrase. The most common term is ネイティブスピーカー, but more natural Japanese alternatives exist.
native speaker (formal)
Referring to someone who learned a language as their first language, especially in contexts like language teaching or proficiency.
The most direct and widely understood loanword. Common in language learning contexts.
He is a native speaker of English.
Shortened form, very common in casual conversation. Can also mean 'native' in other contexts.
That teacher is a native speaker, so their pronunciation is beautiful.
Formal, academic term. Literally 'mother tongue speaker'. Used in linguistics and official contexts.
This study compared native speakers and learners.
Literary or emphatic expression meaning 'speaker from birth'. Rarely used in everyday speech.
She has the intuition of a native speaker.
Specifying which language someone is a native speaker of.
Standard pattern. Insert the language name (e.g., 英語, 日本語).
I'm looking for a native speaker of Japanese.
Formal version of the above pattern.
I received corrections by a native English speaker.
Describing someone's proficiency as being like a native speaker.
In casual speech, ネイティブ often means 'native speaker'. However, it can also mean 'native' in other contexts (e.g., ネイティブアメリカン 'Native American'). Context usually makes it clear.
I had a native speaker check it.
She has native-speaker-level English ability.